The ECOWAS president who is being accompanied by the Commissioner of Political Affairs will also engage the Elections Commission, civil society groups, the media and security forces to chat the way forward for a peaceful, free, fair and credible election.

His visit comes in the wake of violent clashes between the two main political parties and reports of police intimidation of staffers of the electoral commission.

After serving for almost two years as President of the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Marcel de Souza handed over to his successor Jean-Claude Brou, on Thursday 1 March 2018 in Abuja, Nigeria.

In his farewell address, Mr. de Souza outlined the significant progress made by the outgoing Commission. He cited in particular the ongoing ECOWAS institutional reform; renewed commitments of Member States to the creation of the ECOWAS single currency by 2020; and plans for the construction of a new Commission headquarters.

He also recalled the establishment of a regional television station; successful conduct of presidential elections in 2016 and 2017 in six ECOWAS Member States; launch of the West African Police Information System (WAPIS) in 2017; and the transformation of the early warning system into a tool for human security and natural disaster monitoring.